


Stay?

by Acaeria



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Canon - Anime, F/M, Nightmares, Post-Anime
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-01
Updated: 2015-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-12 11:07:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4476992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Acaeria/pseuds/Acaeria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her breath shook in her throat, stolen away from her as the hand reached deep into her stomach, clutching her insides. For a moment, everything was still.<br/>And then-</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stay?

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to rewatch some of my favourite soul eater episodes, and this was the result... a sloppy, lazy drabble that reads like it should have been written at 2AM but unfortunately, wasn't. 
> 
> I've also realised that I write one too many fics about comfort post-nightmares. I think I might have a problem here.
> 
> Also, I've never actually written for this fandom before, so feedback would be appreciated!

Shapes were swirling, dark red against the deep blackness of her surroundings. Maka swirled, feet unsteady on nonexistent ground, fear blooming and spreading throughout her chest, reaching into every part of her. She felt her mind slipping, falling away from her as the world tilted around her. Everything felt wrong, and nonsensical.

 _I need to get out of here_. The thought filled her brain, tied her tongue, was present in every beat of her heart and drop of her blood. She tried to move but to no avail, her feet tied down by darkness. Now there were footsteps, echoing in the gloom, filling her every breath with dread. Her eyes widened and searched for the source of the sound.

Still, it appeared out of nowhere, causing her to freeze in shock: the kishin Asura. His body was shaking with laughter, but the sound was muffled and delayed, two seconds late like it was the audio track to a badly dubbed anime. Her heart stuttered, and everything seemed to fall still. The world stopped spinning, and the red shapes stopped their dancing and flickered once, twice, three times, before disappearing from existence. Now it was just the kishin and herself, alone in the darkness.

 _I can’t move_.

Asura reached out toward her, hand contorted into a clawed shape. Her breath shook in her throat, stolen away from her as the hand reached deep into her stomach, clutching her insides. For a moment, everything was still.

And then-

* * *

 

Soul was awoken by a scream.

He’d heard many screams in recent months, but this one was different: it was full of such pain and horror that it sent shivers down his spine. And more than that, he recognised the voice.

 _Maka_.

He was out of bed in an instant, rushing out into the hall. Crona was there, hands over their ears, a pained look on their face. “She won’t stop screaming,” they said as Soul grew near, but Soul couldn’t tell whether the words were aimed at him or not. “Make it stop. It’s so loud, I don’t know how to deal with it.”

Soul darted past them and opened the door to Maka’s room, finding her wrapped in bedsheets, writhing on the bed. He made his way over to her, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from each other, noting the bleeding wells on Maka’s arms. She struggled some more, then fell limp, her screams residing to make way for broken sobs.

Without even thinking, he pulled her into a hug, letting her arms drop in order to wrap his own around her body. She was so tiny, her body quivering pathetically with the weight of wretched sobs. Her hands moved from where they lay limply in the bed to snake around him, grabbing at his clothes and wailing into his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” he told her softly. “You’re okay now.”

After a while of nothing but inconsolable sobs, Maka’s weeping died away, replaced with snivels and coughs. Soul felt her pull away and let go, allowing her to sit back and wipe her face with her sleeve. The blood on her arms had dried now, the bleeding coming to a halt. They sat there in silence for a while; Soul wondered what Maka was thinking.

“Soul?” Maka said softly, breaking the stillness. He looked up at her expectantly. “Thanks.” Surprise filled him, and he shrugged.

“No problem.”

“I’m sorry I woke you.” She seemed genuinely apologetic, a slight blush on her cheeks, averting her gaze and refusing to look him in the eye.

“You couldn’t help it,” he told her. There was a soft sound coming from the door, and Soul glanced back to see Crona stood there, watching, wide-eyed. “Did you have a nightmare?” they asked. “I don’t like nightmares; I never know how to deal with them.”

“Mmm,” Maka agreed, nodding and wiping more tears from her eyes. “Did I wake you, too, Crona? You can go back to sleep, if you like.” Crona looked doubtful.

“You won’t start screaming again?” they asked. Maka laughed shakily and shook her head.

“No, no more screaming. Promise.”

“Well, okay then. Goodnight.”

“Night, Crona.”

They were silent once more as they listened to Crona’s footsteps move further and further away, and the closing of a nearby door. “You can go back to bed too, Soul,” Maka said, causing Soul to look back at her. She was sitting back against the wall, knees pulled to her chest and arms wrapped around them. Even in the dark, Soul could see the mingled fear and unhappiness in her eyes.

“Do you want me to go?” he asked her doubtfully. She glanced up at him in surprise, meeting his gaze for several moments before looking away again.

“W-Well, I mean…” she stammered, flustered.

“I can stay, if you want me to,” Soul told her.

“Would you?” Maka asked softly, then scowled. “Wait, you’re not just doing this so you can brag, are you?” Soul gaped at her.

“Hey, what sort of person do you take me for? I wouldn’t do that, it’s totally uncool!” Maka’s scowl turned into a hesitant smile. “I won’t tell anyone, if you don’t want to.”

“Okay,” Maka agreed. “Okay. Well… Stay, please?” Soul nodded.

“Sure.”

And that’s how he ended up lying beside his meister in almost pitch darkness, squashed in her bed with one foot hanging off the edge. Maka fell asleep first, arms wrapped around him, her face pressed against his chest and her hair tickling his nose. Curled up together in a tangle of blankets and warmth, Soul found himself drifting away.

* * *

 

Maka awoke to bright sunshine and the taste of tears on her lips. She opened her eyes, and felt somewhat disappointed, though she couldn’t place why. She sat up and looked around the room, blinking sleep from her eyes.

 _Did something happen last night?_ she wondered, but shook the thought away. There was nothing unusual to suggest that.

So why, then, did she feel so comforted, and yet so incomplete?


End file.
